Posted on 11/20/2011 8:51:58 PM PST by smokingfrog
A Spotsylvania County man with a valid concealed-weapon permit died after a semi-automatic pistol without an external safety discharged as he tried to adjust the weapon, which was tucked into his waistband, investigators have concluded.
The 45-year-old man was sitting in the front seat of his family's minivan in a shopping center parking lot on Sunday when his .40-caliber Glock discharged, authorities said.
"For some reason, maybe for comfort, he reached out and went to adjust it," said Spotsylvania sheriff's Capt. Liz Scott. "The detective thinks that in doing so — in just grabbing it — he inadvertently grabbed the trigger."
"This particular weapon does not have an external safety," Scott added.
The single shot struck the man in the hip and he bled to death in a matter of minutes, the captain said.
The incident is at least the second in Virginia in 15 months in which a concealed-carry permit holder accidentally shot himself in public.
On Sept. 11, 2010, a Bedford County man with a permit accidentally shot himself in the thigh at a Lynchburg restaurant as he apparently reached into his pants pocket to pay a bartender for a beer. The .45-caliber Glock 36 was unholstered. Permit holders are not permitted to drink alcohol in restaurants while carrying a concealed weapon.
The man was later convicted of recklessly handing a firearm, given a 30-day suspended jail sentence and fined $500. He also was ordered to give up his concealed-carry permit for a year.
In the Spotsylvania case, police said the victim was sitting inside his family's van with his four children outside the Giant grocery store in the Harrison Crossing shopping center.
(Excerpt) Read more at 2.timesdispatch.com ...
The difficulty with Condition One when you're carrying a Glock is that the trigger "safety" is a lever in the middle of the trigger that requires a direct pull in order to release the trigger. If you've put your finger on the trigger as this fellow did, you've released the safety. There is no thumb safety or grip safety as with a 1911; if the trigger is pulled in this condition the gun goes off.
That's why it is so important to practice draw and presentation of the piece with the finger off the trigger. The Glock isn't the only design with this characteristic: all revolvers and many other striker-fired semi-autos are this way. "Don't touch the trigger until you want the gun to go off" is Cooper's rule on it. Most of us memorize that early on in our firearms careers.
I think I’ll just stick with my wheel-gun and holster.
Shouldn’t of concealed it!
I say Glocks with a round in the chamber are dangerous. There is no external hammer or safety AND its half cocked by design. You pull the trigger it goes off.
It takes too long to rack the slide when time is vital and if you're hurt you may not have two functional hands.
Plenty carry them. I don’t.
Whatever trips your trigger...
...and incidentally, many Israeli schools recommend a Condition Two carry, and practice the slide racking motion as a part of the draw. It’s a safety compromise, not much of a compromise if you’ve trained and can do it quickly, but even then still a compromise. I’m not that good at it; when I carry my 1911 it’s always Condition One but then I have a thumb and grip safety. Others’ mileage may vary.
There is no point in carrying a handgun if it is not functional, as in loaded. Safe carry practices do not include an empty chamber unless you are carrying hammer down on an old style six-shooter that can discharge from a blow to the hammer. In that case it’s a five-shooter with an empty chamber under the hammer.
If you are going to carry, carry properly in a suitable holster.
Further, this only proves the reliability of a Glock. It fires when the trigger is depressed.
Yes, how do they know that’s what he was doing. Perhaps he committed suicide.
Same here. Two Ed Browns and 3 Les Baers. One Crimson trace Kimber job I carry a bit also. A couple of Springers, (The EMP 9 and the .45 shorty), to but I have had probs with ‘em. (One broken FP and one snapped main spring). 1911’s are it as far as this old boy is concerned!
That’s how I carry my 26.
You might not always have time to rack a round into the chamber. Or, in a high stress situation, you’ll forget.
There’s a video on the intertubes of a jewelry store owner that was being robbed and he forgot to flip the safety on his pistol. He got shot up pretty bad, but survived. The bad guy had a cheap revolver.
i hate it when that happens
I’ve always carried in condition zero, I believe it is. It won’t matter though because I always have it in a holster. Only thugs carry it naked in their pants. Also, if I have to adjust, I will grab a part of the holster that is attached to the waistband. Not from the trigger area. Negligent Discharge. End of Story.
Correct! No time to rack, should be able to fire with either functional hand- which supports a mid-back, leg or chest holster, and an either-hand safety.
Or, there’s the wheel gun back-up.
I'm not a professional by a long shot, but there's no way I would carry a Glock with a chambered round in my waistband. That, in my opinion, is a Darwin award tryout.
Only as dangerous as the persons safety with a firearm. My Sig 226 has no safety. It has a de-cocker and is DA & SA. After first shot though the trigger pull is far less. If he had it in a holster it wouldn’t have went off.
That’s my point- I’ve only ever shot a few of them, never felt a need to buy one. Plenty of LEO’s carry them, safely holstered.
For a deep conceal, condition one or equivalent, a trigger-safety Glock would not be my choice.
I won’t say who, but I know a guy...who keeps a Glock at home near his nightstand. He won’t cock it because, in the off chance a kid came into the house (which they don’t...but its possible) he doesn’t want that kid to find the gun and shoot somebody. I figure if I heard, er, I mean my friend heard.... someone break-in to my (er his) house...he’d have time to cock the thing anyway.
I can see thought, in a PROPERLY HOLSTERED GUN, WITH PROPER TRAINING, on your person....a chambered round is preferable.
Apparently this guy didn’t have his gun holstered...
My Ruger SR9 has a trigger safety pretty identical to the Glock. It has an additional thumb safety as well which I believe makes it an almost perfect weapon for CCW. Ruger even makes a compact version for smaller framed folks. One other thing about the full-size SR9, a standard magazine holds 17 rounds.
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